Brace-leg opening apparatus for folding beds



May 27, 1930.1 "1,760,2 35

' BRACE LEG OPENING APPARATUS FOR FOLDING BEDS c. E. GRAY E AL Filed March 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l IINVENTORSI (15.6mm A/m 5.5. Coo/[5. W flaw/yaw,

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May 27, 1930. c, E RAY ET AL 1,760,235

BRI XCE LEG OPENING APPARATUS FOR FOLDING BEDS Filed March 5; 19 2 sheetsQ-s heet 2 K 2, 45 f a l o I 1 E8 15 gl j INVENT0RS.' 6.5.G'RAY mm 5.5.6220/(8 5 /me @W.

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' vertical bed-posts 2 upon each side.

Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED, earns Arnr eerie CLAYTON E. GRAY AND SAMUEL,B. CGOKE, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOES TO UNIVERSAL BED COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, A CORPORATION OF OREGON BRACE-LEG- OPENING APPARATUS FOR .EQLDING BEDS Application filed March 5,

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically opening and closing auxiliary brace-legs of folding-beds.

The object of the invention is to provide apparatus of simple and practicable construction to advance the supernumerary brace-legs of a detached folding-bed to open positions by self-acting devices operable in the loweringof the bed to sleeping position and which is self-closing in the folding of the bed throughopposed spring-devices, the movements of the brace-legs being governed and controlled in each of its opposite movements by the opening and closing of the beds Other objects and advantages residing in our invention, and objects relating to details of construction and arrangements of parts thereof will be readily apparent in the course of the detailed description to follow.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a representative form of our invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of a folding-bed in closed condition, partly broken away, disclosing an embodiment of our braceleg operative devices in correspondingly closed condition.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same in open position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the appa 'atus upon an enlarged scale in partially opened condition.

Fig. 4 is a similar view in vertical cross section taken on line dof Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the bed in closed position.

Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section on line 66 of Fig. 5. 7

Referring to said views, the reference numeral 1 indicates the head-piece of a rigid carriage-frame structure of a folding-bed of the detached and mobile variety including Skeleton side-plates 3 are rigidly secured to said posts and extend forwardly therefrom. Said side-plates are provided at their forward and rear ends with swivel-casters 5 and 6 whereby the frame and attached bed pivotally mounted therein, referred to more particularly here inafter, may be trundled freely about the floor 1929. Serial No. 344,219. g

of a room when the bed is in folded condition.

Transversely disposed'bars 7 and 8 serve to tie said side-plates together in a rigid frame-work of substantially rectangular configuration.

A rectangular metal bed-frame 10 is pivot ally mounted at 11 adjacent its head-end and through its side-bars 12 to the side-plates 3 and is provided with a head-board 13 at one end and swingingrlegs, not shown, at its opposite end which open by gravity to support the foot of the bed when lowered. Meta-l strips 15 are rigidly connected to the sidebars 12 in spaced relation along the length of the frame upon which the usual spiral bedsprings, not shown, are mounted to form a esilient bed-fabric.

A transversely disposed rod 16 is rigidly connected at its opposite en s inapertured lugs 17 integral with the side plates 3 upon which a spacing-tube 18 is mounted between said lugs. A. yoke 20 is provided at each side of the frame, each being formed with an aperture d ear 21 through which the rod 16 extends and disposed upon the outer side of the respective lug 17. A similar car 22 of the yoke is formed with a larger aperture through which the tube 18 extends. Between the inner ear 22 and the lug 17 a rocker-bar 23 is pivotally mounted upon the tube 18, the hub -25 of the rocker-bar filling the space between the lug and the ear. I

A block 26 is secured to the vertical flange of each of the angle-irons forming the sidebars 12 with the bed-pivots 11 extending through such blocks, respectively, intermediate their ends. At the upper end of each said block stud 27 extends inwardly to which a fiat link 28 is pivotallyconnected, the opposite ends of said links are similarly connected to studs protruding from the inner side of the rocker-bars 23 so that when the bed is positioned vertically in folded condition each connected block and rocker-bar will extend in vertical, parallel lines. An inwardly extending lug 30 upon the lower end of the block serves as a stop for the rocker-bar which is formed with a lateral extension 31 on its rear edge to engage said lug.

Extensible coil-springs 32 are connected at one end to the transverse bar 7 of the carriage-frame and at their opposite ends are connected to an angle-bar 33 rigidly secured transversely of the bed-frame below the pivots 11 and serve to resiliently maintain the bed in upright position.

35 indicates a pair of brace-legs each pivotally connected at one end to the respective side-plates 3 through pairs of apertured spaced lugs 36 of the legs being connected by pintles 37 and 38 to lugs 40 cast on the inner side of the respective sideplates. Said pintles are relatively offset from the perpendicular to a slight extent, the lower one being set out further from the plate than the upper pintle so that said brace-legs .will swing outwardly in a slightly inclined path downwardly towards the floor level, and the brace-leg in its entirety will be inclined somewhat on its opposite sides in inwardly downward directions.

Said brace-legs are each formed with a plane cheek-portion 41 adjacent its inner end and outwardly thereof are skeletonized to afford a light construction. The legs terminate in swivel-casters 42 adapted to engage and travel upon the floor as they are opened and approach the latter end of their movements. A coil-spring 43 is connected at one end to each said brace-leg adjacent the outer end of each said cheek-portion and at its opposite end is connected to the bar 33 and serves when the bed is folded to maintain said legs in closed position transversely of the carriage-frame and with the casters elevated from-the floor, see Fig. 1.

When the bed is opened, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the links 28 push the upper ends 45 of the rocker-bars against the cheeks 41 of the brace-legs and cause them to open progressively and correspondingly with the opening movements of the bed and in opposition to the springs 43. The inclined relation of the said cheeks and a slightly outturned deflection given the outer ends 45 of the rocker-bars assist materially in such opening action. The outer ends of the brace-legs sweep in unison outwardly and downwardly under the im'pulsion of the rocker-bars as the bed is opened and engage the floor at about the period when the bed-frame is appreaching an angle of forty-five degrees, see Fig. 4, when the pressure downwardly there on exerted by the operator in opening the bed would tend to upset the carriage-frame on its supporting casters and whereby said brace-legs serve as supports against the tendency of the carriage-frame to cant forwardly and upset toward the operator when pulling down the bed to open condition.

The further movement downwardly of the bed-frame will push thebracedegs outwardly to roll upon the floor to their fully opened position, seen in Fig. 2, where they are extended forwardly in somewhat converging the apparatus is entirely automatic in its action of opening and closing the brace-legs in conjunction with the opening and closing movements of the bed. It is noiseless in its operation as no sudden jars or shocks are encountered and there are no delicate parts that are liable to get out of order or give trouble.

Having described our invention, what we claim, is

1. In combination with a folding-bed, and

a carriage-frame in which said bed is mounted to swing into lowered position, of a pair of brace-legs pivotally connected upon opposite sides of said frame to swing horizontally from closed position parallel to the front of the carriage frame to open position extending forwardly thereof, a rocker-bar adjacent each said leg and pivoted in said frame, link connections between each said rocker-bar and the bed arranged to actuate said rocker bars against the legs and thereby push said legs to open position as the bed is lowered, and a spring connected to each said leg to close said legs as the bed is raised.

2. In'combination with a folding-bed, and a carriage-frame in which said bed is pivo ally mounted, of a pair of brace-legs pivotally connected upon opposite sides of said frame to swing substantially horizontally from folded position parallel to the carriage in an inclined path toward the floor to open position in which they extend forwardly of the carriage frame, a spring connected to each said leg tending to maintain the leg in folded position, a rocker-bar pivotally mounted at each side of the frame and arranged to operatively engage and open the respective leg, and a link connected to said bed and to each rocker-bar to swing the rocker-bars upon the legs to open the legs when the bed is lowered.

CLAYTON E. GRAY. SAMUEL B. COOKE. 

